I'll Do My Best
by TheLightBehindHerEyes
Summary: Travelling with the Doctor feels like it'll never end. You feel like you're immortal, unstoppable. But you're not. You're still human, and humans are so fragile. So small and delicate. Not everyone learns that the hard way, but there are a few that do. This is an example of one of those unfortunate few, who left before their time. (Rated T because I'm paranoid)


_5 hours earlier:_

"Oh come on, you lost fair and square!" I complained, annoyed that the Doctor was being such a sore loser.  
"No, no I did not. I demand a rematch!" I smirked.

"Why would you need a rematch if you didn't lose?" He opened his mouth to say something, before angrily fixing his bow tie and stalking out of the room. I turned off the video game and smiled as I yelled to him:

"Feel free to apologize anytime soon for being a sore loser!"

"Not gonna happen 'cause I _did not lose!_ " He yelled back.

"Uh-huh."

* * *

 _4 hours earlier:_

"Are you sure it's a good idea, Doctor? I mean, I don't think they'll especially like it-" He placed a finger on my lips.

"No, they won't like it and that's why it's a brilliant plan, now shh." I licked his finger and he pulled it away, grimacing slightly as he wiped it on my sleeve.

"Fine," I whispered. I readied my water gun in my hands, and he started the countdown.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!" As he said go, I shot around the corner and into the Ponds' living room. They jumped in surprise as we infiltrated their house, spraying them with water.

"I trusted you!" Amy shouted to me as she dove behind a table. I laughed at her as I ran towards her hiding place.

"Amateur mistake!"

* * *

 _3 hours earlier:_

"Again? Really?" He placed an arm around me as we relaxed in the theater aboard the TARDIS.

"Quiet Anna," he shushed me as the movie started.

"But Docto-"

"Shhhhh."

"Doctor this is the _third_ time today!" He raised his (non-existent) eyebrows.

"So? Lion King is a classic movie!" I groaned slumped down in my seat.

"And so is Star Wars and - oh I don't freaking know The Shining even, there are _tons_ of other movies we could watch and you choose to watch The Lion King three times in a row?" He didn't respond and I groaned even louder, before exclaiming childishly "Doctor I'm boooorrreeedd."

"Hi Bored I'm the Doctor." I raised an eyebrow.

"Did you really just-"

"Yes now watch the movie."

* * *

 _2 hours earlier:_

We ran back into the TARDIS, barely shutting the doors in time to keep the mammoth out. I was gasping for breath as the Doctor raced to the console, flipping the dematerialization lever before running back to where I was and scooping me up into his arms. I yelped as he swung me over his shoulder, and I pounded my fists on his back.

"Put . . . me . . . down!" Each word was accented by another small punch.

"Nope, not until you admit that was fun." I stopping hitting him.

"No."

"Well then I guess you're not getting down anytime soon."

"... I hate you." Even though I couldn't see him, I knew he was smiling.

"No you don't."

* * *

 _1 hour earlier:_

"Are you sure?" I asked skeptically, not fully trusting him at the moment.

"You don't believe me, why don't you believe me?" The Doctor questioned, a grin planted on his face.

"Because that's your 'I'm about to get us in trouble but you'll love it' grin. I know that grin, I've seen it before." He thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Yes, it is that grin BUT," he shouted the 'but,' startling me into just about falling down the steps to the door. "-this time it won't be super dangerous." I rolled my eyes at him as I regained my balance, but a smile had worked its way onto my face as well. His happiness was infectious.

"Okay then, fine. Where are we?" The Doctor ran past me down the steps.

"We're on a ship that's housing the Nestene Consciousness, an old friend - well, actually, enemy of mine, but anyway, The Consciousness has a vial of Klatienof, which is a very rare substance that can be used to -" I stopped listening, choosing instead to simply watch him, a smile on my face. I watched how his eyes sparkled as he explained the science of it, how he laughed at his own jokes, how his floppy hair bounced a bit when he chuckled. I couldn't take my eyes off of him . . . at least not until he cleared his throat.

"Anna?" I blinked.

"Yeah?"

"You okay? You were staring at me." I blushed slightly, and ran a hand through my hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just- just thinking." He smirked.

"Well don't do that, you can be dangerous when you do that." I smacked his arm, a smile still on my face as I walked past him to the doors.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"Never gonna happen."

* * *

 _Now:_

No matter how much I felt like it then, I should never have tuned out what the Doctor was saying.

Maybe if I had listened in, I wouldn't have gotten separated from him. Maybe I wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place. Maybe, just maybe, if I had listened in on what he was saying, I would have known that the creepy mannequins on board the spaceship were armed, and that they could, in fact, move. Maybe I wouldn't be running for my life from three killer dolls. Maybe I could have told him how terrible the plan was. But I wasn't listening. No, I was too caught up with how adorable he is.

As I whip around a corner, a scrap of plastic on the floor catches on my shoe and I crash to the ground. Even though I quickly recover and get back up, I can feel the bruises forming all over my body, prohibiting me from running very fast. I know that the mannequins behind me have gained on me, even though I took off as soon as I stood back up. But then again, what will I do if I _do_ somehow manage to get away from them? I have no way to communicate with the Doctor, no way to find the TARDIS, no way to do much of anything. God, why didn't I just convince him not to come here?

But I don't have time to think about these things. My body is aching all over from my fall, and I can hear the mannequins thumping along behind me. I don't dare to glance over my shoulder in fear of allowing them to catch up faster. I turn another corner, making sure to keep my balance in case there's anything on the floor.

Well, on the plus side there's nothing for me to trip on, but on the other side . . . well, I just ran into a room with two other mannequins. Who are looking right at me. I see the Doctor run in on the other side of the room, and I start to call out for him - and then a blinding pain flashes through my chest. My lungs seem devoid of air as time comes to a stop. I can faintly hear the Doctor call my name, but it's muffled, like I'm underwater, or maybe just far, far away.

He pulls out his sonic screwdriver as I sink to my knees. My hands seem to move away from my chest in slow motion, and when I look down at them they're covered in blood.

 _Is that my blood?_ I wonder. The world doesn't make much sense at the moment, and a faint buzzing sound seems to echo into my ears. _That can't be my blood, I'm not injured. I can't feel a thing._

My vision turns white for a split second, and when it returns I find myself staring up at the ceiling. A man in a bow tie is leaning over me, sadness in his eyes.

 _Who is this man?_ A name is whispered at the back of my mind, nearly too quiet to hear. _Doctor. He's the Doctor._ A tear falls down his cheek, and even though his mouth is moving, I can't hear any words. Just muffled, warped sounds barely reaching my ears.

 _Why is he crying? Can't he see I'm fine?_ Even though I can't hear him, I see him mouth two words over and over. _"I'm sorry." What is he sorry for? He has nothing to be sorry for. Don't be sorry, it's not your fault._ I don't even realize that I've said this aloud. A small smile tugs at the edge of his lips, but he continues to cry.

 _I'm fine, can't he see? Can't he see that I'm happy? I'm okay, Doctor. It's okay._

Darkness pulls at the edges of my vision, and I happily allow it to do so. I begin to close my eyes, but the Doctor look frantic. _"Don't go, please don't go,"_ he keeps mouthing.

 _Okay, if he doesn't want me to, I guess._ I try not to, but it's waiting for me. Singing to me, singing a lullaby. Singing me to sleep, just like a mother or father would.

 _Such a beautiful lullaby,_ I think. I can tell that the Doctor doesn't want me to sleep, but it sounds so peaceful, so calm . . . I can't ignore it. But I can't let him think that I'll be gone forever, can I?

"I'll see you again, Doctor."

After all, I'll only be sleeping. I can just wake up, right?

. . . Right?


End file.
